Stormy Seas
by The-Frozen-Snow-Queen
Summary: After the Great Thaw, Arendelle seeks to recover, as does its royal family. All seems well, until a surprise visitor comes from the Isles with news that could leave the country in ruins, but is he to be trusted? Now this young Queen must rule, and stand for herself, in a world ready to tear her apart. (On Hiatus until 3/28)
1. Prologue

The man looked haggard and thin, with dark circles under his eyes and ribs showing from under a rumpled jacket. What was once thick and healthy auburn hair, was dull and listless. He was human, in the broadest sense and still only a shell of his former self, but when he spoke, a shudder still ran through her.

"Hello, Your Majesty. It's a pleasure to be received by you," came the sickly-sweet voice.

His head raised up and she found green eyes lock on hers, a small bitter smile plastered across his face. She remained regal and composed on the outside, but was quaking inside. Not trusting her voice, she only uttered what she had to.

"Prince Hans, Arendelle is pleased to recieve you," she said, mechanically.

With that the spell seemed broken and Hans stood, the guards on either side tensing. The red-head snorted and addressed Elsa, irritation plain in his voice.

"Would you please call off your attack dogs," he said, gesturing to the men.

"I would, were I not concerned for my safety," said Elsa icily.

At this Hans laughed, short and loud, causing Elsa to jump ever so slightly. He looked at her now again, with scorn in his eyes, but also something else? Exhaustion? Resignation? Submission.

"Queen Elsa, let's not stand on pretense here. We both know that you are more than capable of defending yourself should you need it. And I would like to speak with you. Alone."

Elsa's skin crawled at the notion but he seemed to be calm and at the very least he had no weapons on him. Her curiosity had always bordered on the dangerous, now more so than ever. As a reigning monarch she had a duty to treat royalty of any nation with respect, no matter how vile they had behaved. Doing otherwise risked offending another royal family and the Southern Isles were renowned for their massive navel forces. She also knew that keeping her enemies close would provide some knowledge of their dealings and movements, should the worst come.

"Very well Prince Hans. My men will wait outside the door. Right outside," she emphasized.

"As you wish," he acquiesced.

As her men filed out, some with looks of regret, Hans strode over to the window, gripping the sill until she was sure that underneath his navy gloves, his knuckles were as white as his face. The sunlight streamed into the room, highlighting small dust motes that drifted lazily about. Ironically the day was beautiful, but that seemed lost on the prince. Whatever he wanted to speak of, it bothered him deeply, that much was certain.

"What can I do for you, Prince Hans?" She asked coolly.

"I come as an official representative for the kingdom of the Southern Isles and under my father, King Gunther Konig, first of his name and ruler of the Southern Isles, to bring a message to Arendelle and its ruler, Queen Elsa Fridadottir, third of her name, Frost Born, and Mother of Winter."

Elsa was taken aback at the titles. It wasn't that she didn't expect them, oh no she did. She just didn't expect them to be as positive. Ice Queen maybe but, Frost Born? It seemed milder, and led the blonde to wonder if maybe her powers helped her gain respect among the other rulers. Or at least were a reason to think twice about invading the mountain filled country. Maybe the world was not as bad as her father had led her to believe.

"My message is this: I, Prince Hans, regret my actions during the coronation of the current Queen. I was wrong in what I had done and I am grievously ashamed as is all of the Isles. I humbly ask your forgiveness, Your Majesty," said Hans bowing low, lower than needed. The whole affair had been presented in extreme formality. This couldn't be all; they would have sent a messenger to deliver this, not a prince, no matter how low on the list of succession.

Even through its formality, she was surprised to find any trace of bitterness absent in his apology, leaving something that only served to puzzle her more. Sincerity. She couldn't figure out his game yet but she was cunning, and wouldn't be decieved again. SHE was in control. Flexing her powers, she felt the room grow cold slightly, then warm again. It was amazing what, in the few months since the Thaw, she had been able to accomplish. Now that she was able to practice almost constantly and be near Anna, who helped her thaw things when it got a little dicy, her control had grown ten fold.

Hans said nothing of the temperature, but he did take a step towards Elsa, which made her frown and draw herself up higher, fists tightening ever so slightly. A warning. An animal displaying dominance. This queen no longer fled. She fought. Hans retreated a step before speaking again.

"Your Majesty, I was duty-bound to deliver that message. However I have a message of my own for you," he said lowly, almost in a whisper.

His urgent tone seized a grip on her heart as she felt dread creep up. What else could he possibly want?

"Well?"

"I may regret my actions, but others do not. I acted in accordance with the orders of my King and father. I am not innocent, but I am not guilty either. The danger that you faced has not yet passed and , I am not the enemy. The storm is coming."


	2. Lessons

**Thank you for the review, mystery guest! Well here is the first real chapter, so buckle up and I hope you enjoy!**

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The voice was whiny, plaintive.

"But Elsaaa!"

"No," came the firm, but gentle reply, "I will not make railings."

The red head windmilled her arms and thumped onto the ice for the sixth time in three minutes. She huffed the hair out of her face and looked skeptically at the icy blades attached to her shoes. When Elsa had shyly suggested that she teach Anna ice skating, the redhead was ecstatic. Now...not as much. It turned out that of all the sports that the princess had attempted, ice skating was the one that eluded her.

"Are you sure you made them right?," asked Anna dubiously, gesturing to the skates," I keep falling."

The blonde quirked an eyebrow before folding her arms over her chest, taking on an air of mock indignation.

"Anna are you questioning my abilities? I built a sturdy and architecturally sound ice PALACE on a giant mountain. I think I can manage some skates. It's time to face the facts: you cannot skate."

Anna was already shaking her head, braids whipping about. She didn't take defeat easily and she had always been naturally gifted as far as physical aspects go. She had once broken her arm because a tutor had, when asked, remarked that it would be impossible to climb a certain tree in a dress. She HAD climbed it. It had been getting down that was the problem. And now this would succumb to her as well, especially since ice was so much a part of who Elsa was. She needed to be able to do this.

Another thud made Elsa roll her eyes, irritation growing. "Will you just let me help you? This would go so much faster. Come on let me do this for you. Let me be a big sister."

The comment was made with a smile, and anyone but Anna wouldn't have caught the gleam in Elsa's eyes, or the way she swallowed, trying to push the lump in her throat down. The redhead felt her heart thud painfully as she realized just how much this would mean to the elder.

"Yeah okay you win, you big ole softie. Now come here the ice is freezing my butt off," grumbled Anna, lifting her arms up as if she were a child.

Elsa giggled and skated over. Bending down she gripped Anna under her armpits and hauled her up, eliciting a surprised grunt from the younger.

"Wow you're strong, Elsie!" squeaked Anna.

Elsa felt a small blush creeping up her neck. "Well you know. Father didn't want a shut in AND a weakling."

Anna lightly socked the blonde with her gloved hand. "You aren't a shut in, you are just shy, so come on Your Majesty, lets go!"

Anna pushed off confidently and promptly tilted backwards, crashing into Elsa.

The blonde clamped her arms around Anna as she fought to keep them both upright while both girls giggled loudly.

"Maybe wait until I give you some pointers?" offered Elsa.

"Fine we'll do it your way," said Anna with a wave of her hand.

"Okay, well first stand up straighter, you look like that Duke from Tarthis, oooh," said Elsa as she snapped her fingers, trying to recall the man.

"Duke Engelbert?" offered Anna, snickering at the memory.

"Yes!" cried Elsa, fighting the urge to snort. "He walked like he was folded in half!"

"You mean like this?" asked Anna, as she hunched over so her upper body was parallel to the ice. Taking on her best impression of an old man, she scrunched up her nose and shook her arm at the Queen. "Kids these days with their fancy new quills to write with! Well in MY day we had to catch the bird ourselves with our bare hands!"

The royal sisters dissolved into a fit of giggles and the two guards at the gate of the courtyard had to fight to keep their composure as well.

Suddenly someone cleared their throat and Elsa looked up. "Eric is something wrong?" She asked one of her Queens Gaurd, who had come striding purposefully into the yard.

"A message from the Naval Commander, Your Grace," he said, proffering a neatly folded bit of parchment with Njal's familiar cramped handwriting on the outside.

"Thank you, Eric. How is your wife?" asked Elsa, smiling as she gently took the paper.

The man blushed and stood straighter, surprised that the Queen had remembered. "Very well, Your Grace. The baby was delivered without complications."

Elsa clapped her hands together. "Wonderful! I am very pleased to hear that."

"It was a girl. We-uh," the man cleared his throat, looking unsure, "We named her Anna, Your Grace."

Anna, who had during the conversation, been politely interested in her skates and the trees around them, felt her head shoot up, a blush colouring her face. "Wha-?" She felt herself stutter out.

"Well I think that is a lovely name, and judging from the princess's reaction, I believe she agrees with me," said Elsa, smiling as she watched Anna blush harder.

_Nobody blushes like a redhead,_ she thought.

Allowing Eric to leave with a pleasant wave, Elsa broke the wax on the paper and unfolded it, eyes scanning the writing.

"So?" asked Anna after a few moments of silence, clearly not able to read Elsa's face, "What does it say?"

Elsa finished the note, and with a sigh, folded it back up. "One of the ships is in need of repairs and he requests we commission another to be built soon, which I would love to approve but we don't have that kind of funds, not without raising the tax and the people have already been through enough.." Elsa trailed off, shame muting her.

Anna was quick to jump in though. "Well then he can just make do with what he has until the next supply of goods comes from Corona in a few months. You know Rapunzel might be coming?"

Elsa smiled slightly. "Yes you've only told me a million times. If you keep bothering our cousin to visit every single time we trade, she WILL get tired of us, Anna," joked Elsa.

Anna made a noncommittal sound and waved her hand around "Puh-lease she wouldn't get tired of us, we're family!"

Elsa only rolled her eyes. "Well she'll have to defend herself this time, because as fun as this break has been, I have to go and run a country," Elsa said defeated, gesturing to her study window which opened into the yard.

Back in the study, Elsa hunched over her desk, carefully looking over trade agreements, treaty proposals, the merchant guild's requests, and even suitor callings. She loathed the idea of a political marriage but Arendelle needed all the allies it could get, and now more than ever Elsa couldn't stay single long. She needed to find an appropriate match, because a kingdom without an heir is a civil war waiting to happen, as Corona had all too well shown years earlier. When their princess had been kidnapped, several of the lords had put forth claims to the throne and the country had almost torn itself apart until Arendelle had sent troops to aid the King, and even then it had taken a solid 7 years to completely rout the rebellion.

Elsa sighed and abandoned her quill, supporting her head with her hands. _Is this what it's like to be 21? In charge of things that grown adults struggle with, and being expected to be perfect?_.

Her internal moaning session was interrupted when a small note was shoved under her door. With a gust of icy wind, and a small smile of pride at her ability, she pulled the note to herself. It was short and simple, written in small black letters.

'The Master requests your presence at Her Majesty's earliest convenience.'

Elsa frowned, brow furrowed. _Why does my spymaster need to talk to me now? What ever it is it can't be good; we weren't due to meet for two more days._ The blonde stood, glancing about the room out of habit before she ducked into the small closet beside the bookshelf. Rows of ink bottles and stacks of parchment stood neatly on the shelves but Elsa ignored them, moving aside a small curtain she reached what appeared to be the end of the tiny room. Pushing on a small knot in the wood, however, caused the panel to release and swing in with a quiet click.

She descened the narrow staircase quickly and at the bottom was met with a small table, a lone candle, and a man hunched over studying what appeared to be letters. He did not turn around, merely uttering a "Your Grace" and flipping to another page.

"You called me, sir?" She asked, wringing her hands slightly.

"I have news. From the Southern Isles. A ship left the harbor a week ago."

Elsa felt a shiver creeping up her. "And where was it going?" But she already knew the answer. Why else would he call her here. The only question now, was what they planned to do when they got here. Mentally calculating the time she had left, she realized with horror that they would be here in as little as three days if the reports were correct.

_This time will be different. This time I run things. My people are behind me, my sister is with me. We can do this. We have to**.**_

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**Well I hope that was a sufficiently exciting beginning and please let me know how you feel about it in the reviews! I hope to update this weekly and I'll do my best to let you know when I will be delayed in writing or publishing the chapter. Thanks for reading! **


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